DIFFERENT WAYS TO SPEND WEEKEND AS A PARENT

“Your kids don’t know what a weekend is. But neither do you, because you’re a parent.”

Breakfast serving and cleaning assistant

A weekend for me shouldn’t be called a weekend, but a part-time job, and I don’t mean my actual part-time job as a blogger.
https://littlepuzzlesandme.com/how-to-know-without-words-that-you-are-a-mother/

My weekend started with waking up around 7:30 because the kids wanted breakfast. And that was the least of my responsibilities. In the living room, there was still a blanket construction site, a house half of which belonged to Dorothy and the other half to Patrick. Patrick also had drills and all the necessary tools on his side, and on Dorothy’s side, the entire nursery—dolls, bottles, clothes, and even a stroller. So you can imagine how many blankets went into building such a fort. My kids clean up with me.

https://littlepuzzlesandme.com/cleaning-theory/

They know they were the ones playing (in my head, they were making a mess) and that Mom will help them, but they’ll start tidying up first. The worst part is that they always, always start playing again when we clean up together. Dora will say her baby needs a diaper change, and Patrick will say he’ll just screw in one screw, then another, and the fun will start all over again.

Assistant for going outside

After breakfast and cleaning, the kids are ready for their walk. Dora’s routine of getting ready for the walk remains unchanged; she’ll change leggings, maybe take off a dozen pairs and put on a dress, etc., etc. Patrick will wait for her by the door until he loses his patience and comes outside to wait for us. I’m presenting this so beautifully and perfectly; the kids are independent, dressing themselves, and Mom sits and drinks coffee, but we’re not creating a fairy tale here. https://littlepuzzlesandme.com/motherhood-is-the-most-beautiful-and-hardest-part-of-life/

My kids, getting ready for the walk, have used my name hundreds of times:

“Mom, where’s my hat?”
“Mom, what shoes should I wear?”
“Mom, it’s wet, cold, warm.”
“Mom, where are we going?”
“Mom, I’m hungry.”

Playground assistant

On the playground, another part-time job continues. The children are playing, exercising, and getting dirty, but this time I hear:

“Mom, do we have water!?” and they keep running for it.

“Mom, look how I’m jumping!”

“Mom, don’t you see how high I am!?”

“Mom, haven’t you seen!?”

The constant shouting, singing, and all the other normal activities of children playing on playgrounds don’t help me focus on anything else. And they certainly don’t help me relax the way other people relax on the weekend.

I forgot to add that I cooked dinner and did laundry. And then Saturday was over. I was completely absorbed in the kids, not once thinking about myself. I was as tired as a wet rag from wiping down counters at the restaurant. And my partner, while taking out the trash and hanging up the laundry, said:

“This weekend is starting well.”

https://littlepuzzlesandme.com/mens-zone-and-their-life-stories/

NOT A WEEKEND FOR PARENT

I’m not even writing about Sundays, because it’s the same routine. What I want to say is that after a weekend like this, I no longer have the inhibitions I had at the beginning of motherhood, and whenever my in-laws have a day off, we take the kids there. Besides, we don’t force them to take care of our children; thankfully, they take them themselves. They often sleep over on Fridays, or Dora stays with them, and Patrick stays with friends. So it’s not even a whole weekend, just one evening. But I’m still grateful for every moment for myself and my partner.

Honestly, I don’t know how anyone can manage every single day without a break from little ones. Now I’ll be inundated with comments: “You wanted children, so you have them,” but those are probably from people who only have dogs and cats.

I think that to clear our minds and not go crazy, the weekend should also be for parents. For me, an evening spent with my husband, a dinner eaten entirely by me, and not by the locusts around me, is enough. There are so many wonderful moments, so many days with children, so many experiences that melt our hearts and teach us a different kind of love. I just want everything to be balanced, just like I always wanted. I have everything I ever dreamed of. Someone who calls me “Mom” a hundred times, and someone with whom I can watch my favorite movie, cuddled in silence.

https://littlepuzzlesandme.com/do-you-have-the-right-to-have-some-good-for-yourself/